Happy Sansgiving!
That's how the viejos—the elders—in our family pronounced Thanksgiving. Now we say it that way to remember them and the wonderful blending of Cuban and American traditions at our table and beyond.
Hola and welcome.
I hope you’re settling in for a love filled, yummy holiday tomorrow.
We certainly are, but with a Cuban twist. For immigrants like us Thanksgiving brings back the first memories of the blending of cultures, of fried garlicky yuca spicing up the turkey nearby, of working our way through the murky business of becoming American.
Sansgiving captured that challenge in tangible and, sometimes, edible ways. My aunt, mother, and grandmother took the brunt of it.
How do these americanos cook this big bland bird? Tia, Mami, and Abuela could never agree on the same approach. Each woman fiddled with the bird in the hand, sneaking behind each other to “fix” it, certain that, this time, she would save the turkey so it wouldn’t taste like it had just been washed.
The “mothers” didn’t really cook the turkey. They desiccated the hell out of it. But there was always Cuban roasted pork on the table, too. With at least 24 hours of marinating in a magical mojo, and another ten in an oven at low heat, that pork looked like something worth worshipping. And it was.
I couldn’t find any old Sansgiving photos to share with you, so I poked around on the internet and found some images of the dishes that graced our table each year. If you’re like me, you will almost taste what you are looking at.
Hope you enjoy my offerings. And I hope they inspire you to try the recipe links I’ve added below.
It’s a small attempt to show you how grateful I am for your interest and time. Having you by my side as I think and write about Cuba and Cubans, the problems they face and the freedom they dream of, gives me hope and energy for the work we are doing.
Gracias, gracias, gracias.
—Ana
Enterprising Latinas/latinos are reviving San Giving, or Sansgiving in our family and remembering their elders’ early blending of cultures.
Link to T-shirt: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1782966885/ready-for-san-giving-shirt-thankful?click_key=7205a71c450aa5d10078a455ee8d4ef7d5c4d793%3A1782966885&click_sum=e07b1730&external=1&rec_type=ss&ref=landingpage_similar_listing_top-1&pro=1
Lechón asado. This youtube clip by Cuban chefs takes you on a tour of their kitchen and our mouthwatering additions to the traditional American Thanksgiving table.
The photo is of the worshipable lechón asado. Not for the meek chef. You need courage, time, a really good mojo, and a very clean oven before you even contemplate this. That said, Do Not Be Afraid.
If you’re interested in my own evolving recipe and notes, just let me know in the comments and I’ll send it along. It’s too long to paste here.
Here’s a link to a Three Guys From Miami’s recipe. https://icuban.com/food/lechon_asado.html
Arroz Congri, a drier, even more flavorful, version of black beans and rice. A Cuban staple and always part of a holiday feast. We always squeezed fresh lemon juice over it just before we dove in.
https://asassyspoon.com/moros-y-cristianos-arroz-congri/
Another must-have for Cuban celebrations. Fried yuca, full of garlic, crispy, hot, amazing.
https://asassyspoon.com/yuca-frita/
Golden fried sweet plantains. We used to fight over the last ones on the plate. Abuela always had some hidden away for the late arrivals. We would pray they never showed so we could get the spoils.
The key to this dish is using super ripe plantains. If they look like they should have been tossed out a week ago, you’re on the right track. I usually ask the grocer if he has any plantains he is throwing away and ask him to get those for me. And, you know, I still end up paying full price.
https://redwoodkitchen.com/cuban-fried-plantains-maduros/
This post made me hungry!
So glad I found you. We called Thanksgiving Zangeelee. I have a piece today about the name on my Substack. Happy zangeelee/sansgiving